Coupling.



P. 0. HILL.

COUPLING.

APPLIQATION FILED JUNE 10, 1913.

1,113,556, 'PatentedOct.13,1914. i gz, i

, sons, and this that it may be subject to hard usage without UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

PAUL c. HILL, or TAIT, CALIFORNIA.

cournme. A

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

Application filed June 10, 1813. seriallo. 772,909.

phngs whereby pipe sections or pasings of any kind may be united and it is useful in.

strlnging pipe sections together as when oil or water wells are sunk. a

The'invent-ion canalso be used as a quick detachable joint for a rotary drill pipe, but

is more particularly for use in wells of any kind. where it is necessary to lift the fluid to ground. level by means of a pump attached to the bottom of a string of tubing orpipe. 'In such wells either for water or oil, it is frequently necessary to remove the tubing in order to clean the well, replace worn pump parts, or for several other reajoint or coupling is adapted when used to out down thetimeithat the well is nonsproductive on account of repairs.

Such lost time is estimated to be about one third, more or less, of the time of the'well, and this invention is intended to greatly reduce,such loss and to absolutely elimmate the wear and tear on the threads of the tubing, which, in the case of ordinary tubing, is very heavy by reason of the frequent screwing up and unscrewing of the threaded joints. 1 7 An object of the invent-ion is to make a tight joint in such tubing without the use of threads at the point of coupling. Among other objects this invention is characterized by the fact that the pipe sec tions may be very rapidly connected and disconnected, and also by the fact that the coupling is of very rugged construction so perceptibly diminishing its utility.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a simple coupling that can be put in place with great facility and with very little handling.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the coupling, and shows it connectedto two adjacent pipe sections. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the coupling on line m", Fig.

1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the coupling on line m Fig. 1.. Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the coupling on line ar Fig. 1. Fi 5' isa transverse section through the coup ing on 'line m, Fig. 1. Flg. 6 is a longitudinal section through the key means, this element being shown detached from therest ofthe coupling. Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the key means on line a Fig. 6. i The pipe-sections land 2 are connected by the coupling 3. -This coupling comprises a nnale member 4, which is attached .to pipe 1,

' and also the female member 5, which is attached topipe 2. From the drawing it is seen that the female member embracesthe male member for a substantial length extending approximately from the female extremity 6' to the male extremity 7. In betweenthese points the members fit each other nicely so. as to mutually support one another and so as to hold their respective axes substantially in alinement with each other. This, of course, keeps tions well in line with each other and prevents any looseness or wabbling between the successive pipes.

The male member 4 is provided with a series of externally-projecting lugs 8see Figs. 1 and 5; and the female member 5 is provided with a similar series of longitudinallyextending slots 9, Figs. 1 and 4', cut into its inner cylindrical surface. These .slots communicate with a 'circumferentially extending groove. 10,. which together with 'slots 9 leaves the shoulders 11, Figs. 1 and 4, extending internally from the female member 5. When the malemember enters the female member the lugs 8 passthrough slots 9 and enter the groove 10 below. The male "member may then be turned somewhat so. ,as tobring the lugs 8 immediately below the similarly-shaped shouldersll. In this event, the two coupling members are obviously interlocked so far as the longitudinal motion is concerned. At this stage of the coupling action the slots 9 form a continuous opening into the groove 10, as shown at the left, Fig. 1, and certain key means are next inserted into these openings so as to hold or look the coupling members in their interlocked relation. This key means is shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7, and is seen to comprise a series held together and made integral by means of the annular band "13 which embraces them. These keys or fillers have the' same shape and are of the same size as the slots 9, and being positioned relative to each other the pipe secof keys or fillers 12 which are in the same manner as slots 9 the keys are adapted to pass through said slots and into the groove 10 as shown in Fig. 1. In this event the lugs 8 cannot be turned back so as to register with, and be drawn out through, the slots 9, but on the contrary the lugs are positively locked and held in their position beneath shoulders 11. ObVIOUSly, this positively locks the coupling members in their interlocked position and they cannot be separated, except by withdrawing the key means from the groove 10.

When used for connecting pipes or casings that are intended to conduct fluid, as in oil or water wells, the coupling is, of course, formed with a longitudinally-extending opening 14 so that the fluid may pass through from one pipe section to the next one. In order to prevent leaks at the coupling junction the female and male members may respectively be internally and externally 'machined and ground at 15, Fig. 1, so as to form a fluid-tight joint.

From the foregoing description the construction and use of this coupling will be clear, and its ruggedness and durability will be apparent from the drawings.

I claim:

1. A three-piece tubular coupling for sec tions of pipe, said coupling comprising a male member, a female member and a unitary key-member; said female member being adapted to embrace said male member for a substantial length, there being lugs on the exterior of the male member, and

longitudinal slots communicating with a' clrcumferentially extending groove cut internally of said female member; said lugs on the male member being adapted to pass throughsaid slots and to be turned intosaid groove, said key-member having a series of fingers adapted to pass through said slots and into said groove to hold said lugs and groove in interlocking relation.

2. Coupling members for sections of pipe,

with a circumferentially extending groove on the interior of the second coupling member, said lugs on the first coupling member being adapted to pass through said slots and to be turned either to right or left into said groove; and key means adapted to pass into said slots after said lugs have been turned into said groove.

3. Coupling members for sections of pipe, said coupling members being longitudinally perforate so that liquid may pass through from one section of pipe to the next section of pipe, a series of externally-projecting lugs on one of said coupling members; a series of longitudinally-extending slots cut internally into the second coupling member, said slots communicating with an internally circumferentially extending groove, said slots being spaced apart so as to form internally-projecting shoulders on the second said coupling member, said lugs on the first coupling member being adapted to slide longitudinally through the slots in the second coupling member and to be turned either to right or left into said groove so as to lie beneath said shoulders of the second said member, said lu s and shoulders being thus adapted to 'interibck the coupling memhere longitudinally, and a unitary key memof May, 1913.

, PAUL C. HILL. In presence of-/ JOSEPH C. Hum,

J. F. LEHAN. 

